MIAMI — Commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL will consider offering incentives to teams playing late-season games to discourage them from resting their starters for the playoffs.

Goodell said the league was sensitive to criticism of the Indianapolis Colts’ decision to use backups a week ago in a game they lost, ending their bid for a perfect season.

“It is something we’ll look at,” Goodell said Sunday. “We heard the fans loud and clear. We want every game to be competitive.”

The league’s position has been that playoff-bound teams enjoy the right to rest their starters to prepare for the postseason.

Goodell said various incentives to prevent teams from benching starters could include awarding draft choices.

“I don’t think you can punish them for not playing,” Goodell said in an interview with CBS. “The other thing that has to happen is you have to make it clear to the public that you are not going to be playing someone, like we do with our injury reports.”

Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson had butterflies before Sunday's game against the Detroit Red Wings. It wasn't because of the big-name opponent, but rather his return from a 13-game injury absence and being stoked to rejoin a team in a playoff push and looking for its third postseason appearance in 10 years.